The date of Akzharkyn’s verdict announcement is unknown, Kazakh Consul says

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BEIJING-GUANGZHOU. KAZINFORM The date of pronouncement of the verdict regarding Kazakhstani citizen Akzharkyn Turlybay accused of drug smuggling is still unknown, according to Chief of the Consular Department of the Kazakh Embassy in China Bolat Syrlybayev, Kazinform correspondent reports.    

“Neither Chinese judges, nor Chinese attorneys cannot say the exact date of announcing Akzharkyn’s verdict. I keep in contact with them constantly. As a rule, Kazakhstani attorney communicates to the attorneys and the judge in my presence,” said Syrlybayev and expressed  perplexity over how Sunkar Nurmaganbetov could know the exact date of the verdict announcement (27-28 February).

Today, Bolat Syrlybayev has met with Akzharkyn in a detention center. In the oncoming festive week she will have days off and will remain in the cell together with other 16 detainees.

The Diplomat says she is in a good mood.

“Akzharkyn works in the detention center – she packs disposable gloves and other items. Every day she watches news on a Chinese channel (1-1.5 hours per day). She asked to send family pictures to her next time. The problem with glasses has already been solved. Earlier, there was no hot water in the cell. This problem has also been solved,” says Syrlybayev.

He congratulated the girl on the oncoming birthday in February and transferred some money to her card.

The Kazakh Consul is planning also to meet today with three other Kazakhstani citizens detained in Guangzhou.

The 20-year-old Akzharkyn was detained  at Guangzhou Airport in March 2014 for smuggling 4.5kg of drugs (amphetamine). The girl said she had come to China to buy branded clothes for sale. According to Turlybay, the drugs were planted on her by the people she met during her trip. The girl was sentenced to life imprisonment.  

Later, the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors (CARICC) stated that the girl had become a victim of a Nigerian drug mafia. On April 7, 2016 the court of appeals decided to reverse  life imprisonment of Akzharkyn Turlybay and submit her case to reconsideration to the first instance court.

On November 2, the first-instance court of Guangzhou city reviewed Akzharkyn’s case. Chinese attorney Feng Zhijian is defending Akzharkyn in the court.

 

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